Saint Joseph College School of Pharmacy
       

Pharmacy Program at Saint Joseph College - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Joseph College School of Pharmacy complements the college's existing pre-pharmacy program and allow the college to offer the following program options for students:

  • For those with bachelor's degrees (and all the appropriate pre-requisites):
    • a three calendar-year Doctor of Pharmacy program (Pharm.D.)
  • For those without bachelor's degrees:
    • A program where students complete four years of undergraduate coursework leading to a bachelor's degree, and then three calendar-years within the Pharm.D. program

Q. What are the admissions requirements?  

  • To be eligible for admission into the entry-level Pharm.D. degree program, an applicant must hold a Bachelor's degree and present evidence of successful completion of the required prerequisite courses at a regionally accredited college or university in the United States.
  • The applicant must be in good academic standing at each college or university attended and must have a minimum over-all grade point average (GPA) of 2.8 (4.0 scale).
  • The applicant must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.8 (4.0 scale) in the Sciences, Mathematics, English and Oral Communications, plus an overall GPA of 2.8 in all Pre-Pharmacy courses.
  • Application is through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS, (www.pharmcas.org).
  • The following material must be sent to PharmCAS along with your application:
    • Personal Statement (minimum of 250 words) which describes the applicant's goals and reasons for pursuing a career in pharmacy.
    • An official transcript from each college or university attended.
    • Official scores from the Pharmacy College Admission Test PCAT (PCATweb.info)
    • Two (2) professional letters of recommendation, one of which should be from a science professor or instructor and the other from a non-relative.

If all eligibility requirements are met by the applicant, she/he may then be contacted for an in-person interview. If selected for an interview, updated official transcripts from each college or university attended must be submitted prior to the interview. During the interview an additional writing and mathematics test will be administered.

If you are an undergraduate or transfer student please click here for information about the pre-pharmacy program.

Admission into the Pharm.D. degree program is highly competitive. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee automatic admission.

Q. When can I apply?
A. Applications for the Pharm.D. program are being accepted now through the Pharmacy College Admission Service (PharmCAS).

Q. Is the Pharmacy program accredited?
A. The Saint Joseph College School of Pharmacy has been granted precandidate accreditation status by the  Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Further information regarding the School's accreditation status may be found here.

Q. Is a PCAT exam required?
A. Yes

Q. Can I transfer into the program?
A. Because of the block system employed by the Saint Joseph College School of Pharmacy and the highly integrated nature of the didactic component of the Pharm.D. curriculum, the College will consider requests for transfers from other Doctor of Pharmacy programs, directly into the Pharm.D. program, on an individual basis.

Q. How many students will be enrolled?
A. Sixty-seven students enrolled in the inaugural class of the Doctor of  Pharmacy  program on August 15, 2011.  As the program develops, more students will be enrolled each consecutive year, with enrollment of each entering class eventually reaching (but not exceeding) 100 students.

Q. How much does the program cost? Is financial aid available?
A. The tuition and fees for the first year of the Doctor of Pharmacy program is $40,500.00. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify, so visit the Student Financial Services Office at the time of application.

Q. Will the Pharmacy program be on campus?
A. The Doctor of Pharmacy program is housed in our new state-of-the-art facilities located at 229 Trumbull Street in Hartford, CT.

Q. Will there be student housing available?
A. There are several apartment complexes within walking distance of the School of Pharmacy.  Please visit our website www.sjc.edu/pharmacy or contact the Office of Admission and Student Affairs, Saint Joseph College School of Pharmacy at 860.231.5858 for further information.

Q. What is the Pre-Pharmacy program and how is it connected to the Pharm.D. program?
A. The Pre-Pharmacy program is part of the undergraduate bachelor's degree curriculum taught at the main campus in West Hartford and it prepares students for the Doctor of Pharmacy program and includes the 68 prerequisite credits.

Q. What are the benefits of your program?
A. The modified-block curriculum of the Pharm.D. program not only allows students to receive the financial benefits of employment sooner, but it has a proven record of increasing students' ability to master the didactic material as well as providing students with a rich experiential education in area pharmacies (community and institutional). Traditionally, the cohort model results in high pass rates on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. Students will also benefit from the College's history and reputation in the health science arena, as well as its long-standing collaborative relationship with hospitals and health care facilities.

 

January 12, 2012